EXPLAINING KAEDE: A DOMYOUJI FAMILY SAGA
by Pilya
Summary: Domyouji Kaede has been portrayed as an Iron Woman, caring more for the Corporation than for the sake of her own children. Has she always been that way?
1. PROLOGUE

_I've wanted to write this fic for some time... The character of Domyouji Kaede has always intrigued me because it's kind of hard for me to understand a mother who would do something like that to her own child/children... So I decided to write a fic that may help explain what kind of person she really is..._

*****

**EXPLAINING KAEDE: A DOMYOUJI FAMILY SAGA**

_**Prologue: This Time Around**_

"Why was it so easy for you to accept her?" Kaede demanded to her husband, Domyouji Tsukane, as soon as they were out of earshot. He had just informed Tsukasa and Tsukushi that they (his wife included) will not stand in the way of their relationship.

"Maybe it's not so much my acceptance. Maybe it's your refusal to acknowledge the fact that you were once a commoner yourself that bothers you", Tsukane rebuked her and she fell silent at his words.

Later that night, she was still mulling over them, and she couldn't escape the memories of all the events that had happened to lead her to this point in her life...

*****

_So why is she such a ******? Let's join her on her journey to the past to find out... :)_


	2. CHAPTER 1: NAKAMURA ICHIRO 19011943

_**Chapter 1: The Nakamura Family: Ichiro (1901-1943) THE BEGINNING**_

Nakamura Ichiro has always been a forward thinker and a risk taker. He was the youngest and only boy in a family of 3 children. His father had been a fisherman, just as his father before him. At first, there was no reason to suspect that he would become anything else. Since his birth, his father had been teaching him the ways of fishing in increments, delighting in the fact that little Ichiro seemed to have a natural instinct for catching fish. Their family was poor by city standards but they did not lack for anything. They loved each other and tried to keep each other up during the bad times. They especially doted on Ichiro, the youngest, who was seen as the way of the future for the Nakamura family.

In the years that came, their family became more successful, and they were able to own two fishing boats. This they credited to Ichiro's suggestion of not just selling fresh fish but also cooking some of them in a couple of dishes that the laborers there would like to eat. It was a success and they stepped up in social status.

At the time, the practice of _miai_ in Japan was still very prevalent, and it was no different in the village where Ichiro and his family lived.

When Ichiro was 22 years old, and unbeknownst to him, his family approached a _nakodo_, a family friend, who was a public figure in their province. They were concerned since he has not really shown any inclination towards a particular girl though he was of marriageable age. The _nakodo_ accepted and immediately began searching for suitable candidates for the Ichiro and the Nakamura's to meet.

Little did they know the reason for Ichiro's lack of love life.

He was in love.

But she was not a suitable marriage candidate for him. Her name was Reiko and her family did not belong to the same social class as the Nakamura's. While his family owned two fishing boats, her family did not own any. Instead, her father would usually rent out a boat from which he could catch fish. This was how they met, Reiko's father came to the Nakamura's house one day to rent Ichiro's father's boat.

The two men were inside talking about the terms of the rent when Ichiro came home from hanging out with his friends at the village hall. He saw a girl with long flowing hair in a dirty dress, kneeling down in front of his mother's flowers, leaning her head down to smell a bloom.

"Hey, you could get your face stung if you do that!" He warned.

The girl, surprised by his voice, turned and stood, her face turning crimson at having been caught in such an unladylike position. She made a move to run away.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

She still looked panicked. Her eyes were darting from right to left, looking for a possible way away from him. Unfortunately, Ichiro was still standing at the gate and there was no other way for her to take except enter the door into the house.

"What's your name?"

"..."

"I'm Nakamura Ichiro. I live in this house." He tried again. "What's your name?" He took a step closer to her, slowly, trying hard not to scare her.

"Reiko." She whispered. She was looking down on the ground, her hair falling and covering her face.

"What are you - ?"

"Reiko-chan, come. We must go now." Her father suddenly appeared by the doorway, beckoning to her. Reiko's head snapped up, her eyes widening in fear again and she rushed to her father's side.

"Ja ne, Nakamura-sama. Arigato gozaimasu!" Her father lifted a hand in farewell and ushered his daughter away, holding her a bit roughly by the upper arm. As they passed Ichiro, her father turned to look at him in speculation before leaving.

"Ja ne, Matsuki-sama!"

Ichiro went to his father who had stood in their front door to bid their visitors farewell.

"Hi, Otousan. I'm back. Who were those people?"

"Ahhh, that was Matsuki-sama with his daughter. He wanted to rent our second boat for the next season and we were just negotiating rent."

"Ahhhh..."

"So did you meet anybody in the village hall today?"

"Nope."

"No one?"

"Nope."

"Ichiro-kun," his father started to say hesitantly. Ichiro stopped and looked at him. "Otousan?"

"Hmm, is there any girl that has caught your fancy?"

Ichiro was startled by the question. Had his father caught his and Reiko's exchange by the garden?

"Why do you ask, otousan?"

"Hmmm, nothing... Nothing..."

Ichiro made to walk to his room and get a nap before dinnertime. But it seemed his father wasn't done talking... "You are twenty-two now... It's time you get married..."

Hearing that startled a laugh out of Ichiro. "Otousan, I'm still young. I still have plenty of chances to get married."

"Yes, but... But, that is old for getting married. I got married at 17. Your mother thought that perhaps we should get a nakodo, just so you can meet prospects perhaps..."

Ichiro's eyes turned serious. "Otousan, I will let you know when I am ready to get married, not before. I want to at least marry someone I like and whom I am attracted to."

"But, son. It is not done here..."

"I am not opposed to an arranged marriage, but I would like to see what is out there first."

"We will give you two months, after the two months are up, you will agree to meet with prospective wives. Is it a deal?"

Ichiro nodded.

The next day, after catching fish with his father, Ichiro decided to walk around their village with his best friend, Ryuu.

"What's up, Ichiro? Are we on a _kagemi_?" Ryuu teased him when Ichiro told him that he wanted to walk around.

"Huh? No – what are you talking about? What _kagemi_? I just want to look around the village that's all." Ichiro denied, his face turning pink.

"If you say so..."

By the time lunch drew near, Ryuu was already complaining .

"Ichiro, who are you looking for? You must be in love, you've never expressed any interest in going around the village before."

"I'm not in love... Is there something wrong with walking around and familiarizing yourself with your hometown?"

"Ichiro, if you don't tell your bestfriend the truth, who else can you tell? Besides, if you don't tell me who we're looking for right now, I am leaving. I'm hungry."

Ichiro sighed. Ryuu can be such a pain sometimes but he was his best friend. So he decided to tell him about what happened yesterday.

"Reiko is her name?"

"That's what she said."

"Did you talk about anything else?"

"No."

"And they were there to rent one of your fishing boats?"

"According to my old man."

"Ichiro, nothing good will come of this... You will just wind up hurting her."

"I won't hurt her", Ichiro denied.

"You will if you can't fight for her", Ryuu said solemnly.

Before Ichiro could say another word, they came upon a ramshackle house with a dirty and barren front yard. The house may have been clean, but there were so many patches and holes here and there, you couldn't really tell. Reiko was by the side of the house, hanging laundry in a line strung with wire. She was singing a song softly to herself. She was beautiful. Despite wearing the same faded dress she had worn the day they met, she herself looked immaculate. She had no shoes, but she had delicate ankles and smooth, slightly tanned calves.

Even Ryuu was stunned into silence at the sight of her.

"How could such a beauty be hidden away in here? I don't think anyone has ever seen her... She's beautiful," he said in awe.

Ichiro looked at him sharply. He didn't like the way Ryuu said that. If Ryuu the village playboy found her attractive, then the other males would surely think so too. "Don't even think about it, Ryuu", he warned.

Ryuu just help up his two hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Pssst, Reiko-chan" Ichiro whispered. She turned her head to look at where the noise was coming from. "Over here", he whispered again.

She turned her head and peered into the fence that surrounded their house.

Ichiro stood up a little bit so she could see his face and he motioned for her to join him. She hesitated for a second, and looked around. Then, seeming to make up her mind, she yelled into the house, "I'll just pick some vegetables, Otousan." She must have heard someone agree from within the house because she brought the basket where the laundry had been into the steps leading into the house and went to where Ichiro was.

"Hi," Ichiro greeted, raising a hand. "Do you remember me?"

"Yes. Hello, Nakamura-san. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing. We were just walking, seeing the sights. Then we saw you and nothing. We just decided to stop that's all." Ichiro faltered in his explanation. He turned pink again.

Reiko looked askance at him. She didn't know if she should believe him or not. She wasn't really sure what to make of him. Her father rarely allowed her out of the house unless it was with him, so she wasn't well-versed with how young men behaved.

"Uh-hrmmm", Ryuu cleared his throat to remind the oblivious couple of his presence.

"Oh, I'm sorry. This is my best friend, Ryuu. Ryuu, this is Reiko. I met her yesterday with her father."

At the mention of her father, Reiko turned a little pale and said, "I must go. There isn't much to see around here, but if you continue this way, and turn right when you see the big tree, look closely and you'll see an opening. There's a really beautiful waterfall there." She looked at Ryuu and said, "It was nice to have met you. Sayonara."

She turned and ran back into the house, picking up her basket on the way in.

The two men looked at each other in bafflement at her sudden departure.

And that was how it started. Ichiro went back to that house the next day, and the next, and the next. Sometimes with Ryuu, oftentimes without him.

It took some convincing in his part, but the time came when Reiko loved him too... It was no easy feat. She was scared to death of her father. Ever since her mother died in childbirth, her father had clung to her. He rarely let her out of the house and out of his sight for long, fearful that her beauty would captivate too many men and incite their lusts. Especially since they are not wealthy, he felt the only way he could protect her was to keep her by his side. Maybe someday, he can find a suitable man to marry her to – but not just yet.

And so, they would always meet in secret. In their special place by the waterfall. There, they'd talk for hours about anything. Usually, Ichiro would be the one doing most of the talking, Reiko would just listen, for she loved the sound of his voice.

"Reiko-chan, I love you so much... I don't ever want to leave you..."

"I love you too, Ichiro-kun..."

"Would you – could you - ..." Ichiro stammered.

"Hmmm?" Reiko asked dreamily. They were lying down among the long blades of grass together, she had the top few buttons of her dress undone, letting the soft wind cool her flesh. They've made out heavily a few times, but she always stopped him before they got too far.

"Would you be my wife?" Ichiro asked clumsily.

Reiko was silenced by his words. It got so long that Ichiro leaned on his side to look down at her, anxious at her unresponsiveness. She had curled up on her side, facing him, her face burrowed in his chest. She was shaking.

"Reiko-chan? Are you okay, my love?" He gently touched her shoulder to turn her to face him.

She slipped her arms around his neck and sobbed, "I didn't think you'd want to marry me... We're so different..."

"What did you think I was doing with you? Playing games before I get married to some other, more suitable girl?" he demanded.

She nodded her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Ichiro, I love you so much... It is just hard for a girl like me to believe someone like you would love me..."

"What do you mean 'someone like you'? If you could only see yourself the way I see you, you would never say such things," Ichiro murmured, using his right hand to move her hair away from her neck. Slowly, he bent his head to kiss her there...

After a few moments, the sun was starting to set and they slowly started putting themselves in order.

"Reiko-chan... You never did answer my question earlier."

Reiko looked at Ichiro, her eyes traveling his perfect face. The slightly disheveled curly hair, the dark brows, his straight nose, and full firm lips. Slowly, she reached out her hand to touch them... She kissed him, slowly, lingeringly... "My answer has always been yes. You never had to ask."

Ichiro picked her up suddenly and swung her around and they laughed. She lifted her arms and face up to the setting sun, the rays dancing on her skin, casting more warmth into her long and slender neck.

Slowly, Ichiro brought her down, sliding her body along his length, holding her unbelievably, comfortably close.

"You've made me so happy, you know that? I will never let you go."

They kissed again. And skipping, started to walk back down to her house. They agreed to let his parents know first, after all, he and his father had an agreement. His deadline was not yet up, and he planned to hold his father to his word. There was no reason to think he would be denied by him, even though the Matsuki's weren't in the same social class. A promise was a promise, after all.

Reiko was wary of her father's reaction, of course. After all, their trysts were unknown to him. But they planned to "date" for a while so as to not raise suspicions about how close they have really grown to each other.

That night, Ichiro sat his family down and told them about his choice.

"Wh-what? We never heard anything about this!" his mother stuttered.

"Otousan and I agreed on it, Okaasan."

"You never told me about this!" his mother said to his father.

"Well, I never thought he would choose someone like her", his father said. Turning to Ichiro, "Ichiro-kun, are you sure about this? She is not in the same standing as we... If you marry her, our only son, our family will go down to their level."

"Why does it have to be that way, Otousan? Why can't I elevate her when I marry her? I don't really care what people will think. I – I love her", Ichiro admitted.

"This can't be... What face will I show to our neighbors?" his mother said again.

"Ichiro-kun, I think this is really too bad of you. What about us? Didn't you think about how this would affect us?" his oldest sister said.

"I'm sorry, 'neechan, but since this is, in the end, my life, I don't think it's really any concern of yours."

His family was speechless with his declaration. They've never heard him speak this way to them about anything before. He must really be serious about her.

"B-but we already spoke to the _nakodo_, he has prepared a list of suitable girls already", his mother protested, faint at the thought of losing more face by telling the _nakodo_ they were rejecting his choices.

"Then we better tell him right away, shouldn't we?"

His mother was about to say something more but Ichiro cut her off, saying, "I'm tired. I'm going to bed. There's nothing more to talk about. Good night." He left.

"How could you let this happen?" his mother asked his father. "Papa, you should put your foot down and insist to Ichiro!", his oldest sister said as well. It was only his other sister that was silent throughout the exchange.

"Perhaps, Otousan, you should talk to this girl's father. I am sure that if you make yourself clear to him about your opinion in this matter, he himself will talk to the girl and you won't have to do anything more," she said thoughtfully.

The three other members of the family all turned their heads to look at her. Slowly, they smiled. She had always been the most clever after Ichiro.

And so the plan was set. It was arranged that his father would go over to the Matsuki's to inform Reiko's father of what is happening while Ichiro was otherwise occupied.

The next day, Ichiro and Reiko met in their glade as usual. Ichiro informed Reiko of what had happened with his family the night before, and they were ecstatic at how well the Nakamura's received his news.

"You should expect our visit to your house any day now, Reiko-chan", Ichiro told her. Her eyes were shining with happiness and excitement. She was so happy everything turned out so well – better than she expected.

"I love you so much, Ichiro-kun", she touched his face with her fingertips and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

Ichiro just gathered her to him and kissed her back. Their kisses turned more passionate, and soon, they found themselves lying on the ground...

After an hour, they lay beside each other, sated. It was the first time that they had indulged themselves with each other. Reiko's head was in Ichiro's chest, her ear listening to the beating of his heart, and he had his arm wrapped around her protectively.

"Can you believe by this time this year, we will be married?" Ichiro asked, his fingertip tracing circles in her back.

Reiko shivered. From her words or from the feel of his finger, she didn't know, but she was suddenly filled with goosebumps. She had a sense of foreboding, but she said in her head that this was impossible, everything was fine... She made a low murmur in her throat to acknowledge his words instead.

Soon, the sun was starting to set and the two lovers parted ways, making plans to meet with each other again the following afternoon.

Reiko reached her home, she had been humming a song to herself. She was so unbelievably, incredibly happy. Her father appeared on the doorstep, his face in shadow.

"Otousan, you startled me!"

"Where have you been?" her father asked in a grim tone.

Reiko was perplexed by his question and his tone. Did she do anything? "Uhm, I was – I went to Mayuki-san's house and we got to talking that's why I'm home so late."

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" he thundered lifting a hand to slap her. Reiko leaned away. "I know you were meeting with that Nakamura boy! Do you know how much you have shamed this family! How could you do this!"

Reiko was more frightened of her father than she had ever been. "B-but, Otousan... We – we will be getting married sssooonnn..."

"Oh, is that what he promised you?? Well his father was just here and he said that that boy has been promised to another woman! But the arrangements might fall through because of you! Do you know how much we need their boat for the season??? We will starve if we don't rent it!!"

Reiko whimpered when she heard her father's words. Inside her head, a voice denied everything he was saying... Ichiro would not do that to her, would he? He loved her... He wouldn't lie to her...

"You are banned from going out of the house! I asked your aunt to come here and stay with us for a while to help me guard you! I forbid you to meet with him again, understand??? If you defy me, I swear I will send you away and you will never come back."

Reiko made a sound at the back of her throat. It was a murmur of protest, and her father soon dragged her into the house.

The following day, Ichiro waited at their glade by the waterfall as usual. An hour passed and then two, still there was no sign of Reiko... He started to get worried but thought that maybe her father had detained her or she was unable to get away for the afternoon. Still, he decided to pass by their house on the sly – just to make sure she was fine and that she was where she was supposed to.

Ichiro came and saw nobody in the yard. The house also seemed so still and silent... Ichiro was afraid to make any kind of sound, the mood was that ominous. He searched around for some sign of Reiko... At first, he could find nothing, then he saw her head appear in one of the windows, and he was about to whisper for her when he heard her talking to someone else. He ducked his head down, waiting. Perhaps she will get the chance to go into the yard and he can talk to her then.

His patience was rewarded, when she appeared in the back door with a little basket in her arms.

"Pssst" he called out. "Psst, Reiko-chan."

Reiko looked around for the noise, spotted him and rushed over, checking to see no one was around.

"Oh, Ichiro!" she hugged him.

"What is it, Reiko-chan? What happened?" At first Ichiro thought nothing was wrong, but Reiko had never done this before. She seemed on the verge of tears.

"My father forbid me to meet with you. He said that your father came to see him yesterday – he wanted to dissolve their agreement if I continue to see you..." she sobbed into his chest, grasping his shirt into her hands.

"WHAT?? That's impossible", Ichiro denied. His father couldn't have done that, could he???

"It's true... That's why my aunt is here now. She'll be out looking for me in a second. I must go..."

Ichiro watched her flee, his mind in a tumult. Could what she was saying be true?

His face clouded over and he strode into their house, a forbidding expression on his face. If it was true, his father had some explaining to do... They had an agreement.

"Ah, Ichiro! You're back early!"

"Call everyone in here now."

"Wh-what? But your father is out meeting with a friend. And your sisters..." his mother said. Ichiro turned his black expression towards her and he repeated. "Call. Them. Now." His mother went out to get the rest of his family then.

"What did you tell Matsuki-san?" he demanded once everyone was in the house.

"Uh..."

"Don't deny it. I know you spoke to him about Reiko and me."

"So what if we did?" his oldest sister shot at him.

"It is my life. I love her. I want to be with her – you have no right to interfere!"

"Well, you are just being selfish, Ichiro! What about our family? What about your sisters?? Didn't you think of that???" his mother said.

"It is my life to live as I choose. How could you ask me to live my life for other people? Father and I had an agreement. If he is a man, he should not have broken it."

"Now, see here, Ichiro... I would love for you to fall in love. Indeed, I would prefer you love the woman you marry, as long as it is not her. Can't you fall in love with one of the candidates we selected for you???"

"No. I love Reiko. I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Ichiro-kun... You are just being selfish!"

"I don't think I am... If you don't let us marry, I will march over and get her and we will elope!" he threatened.

"Do that... That is the best way to make sure you ostracize her." his second oldest sister told him. She had seen that making him guilty about what his actions are doing to their family was futile. He only had one weakness. Reiko.

Ichiro was silenced as he realized his viper of a sister was right.

"If you do not follow the _nakodo_'s choice and shame this family, we will dissolve the agreement with her father. Otousan will tell the men in the village with any boat to lend, not to rent her father any. How will they make their living... They'll starve too... do you want that?" She asked astutely.

Ichiro continued to be mute. He was in a rage, but he was powerless. She'd found his weakest point. He would never agree to do anything to harm Reiko...

"So why don't you be the good son we know you are, and meet these women? Who knows, Reiko-chan might be the best of them and you will end up married to her anyway?"

He stood there, glaring at all of them and left.

His parents and older sister breathed sighs of relief. He had succumbed to their threat. "I wouldn't relax yet. We have to anticipate his resistance to the meetings. Make sure he attends every one of them", his second sister reminded. The three others nodded their heads in agreement.

*****

_How do you like the story so far? Sorry I was not able to update right away, I needed to clear out everything in my head first... and research a little bit... Of course it still won't be as accurate as I'd like, but forgive me for the mistakes here..._

_What will happen to Ichiro and Reiko? Will they be able to be together?_

_Miai – arranged marriage_

_nakodo – match maker_

_kagemi – secret scouting of the guy for a possible prospect _


	3. CHAPTER 2: TACHIBANA AI & MATSUKI REIKO

_**Chapter 2: MATSUKI REIKO AND TACHIBANA AI**_

"Reiko-chan, we have to talk..." Ichiro murmured into her hair softly. They rarely had more than fifteen minutes together. Any minute now, her aunt would come and tell them time was up.

Reiko lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up into his eyes trustingly.

"We won't be able to spend too much time together for the next few days... The marriage meetings are starting tomorrow..."

Reiko just put her face back into his neck and clung to him tightly.

They'd decided on a plan of action ever since they heard his family's threat. Ichiro was enraged by his confrontation with his family. Never in his life had they treated him that way, but then, he has also never defied them openly like that. Yet, Reiko was worth it. To him.

The only positive in this situation was that they had found an ally in her aunt. She was a spinster, but she was a romantic at heart, and she sympathized with the two lovers' situation.

Tomorrow, the marriage dates were starting. Ichiro and Reiko had enlisted Ryuu's help – they would not be able to see each other for a few days. Instead, they would be exchanging letters instead. They supposed that if they fool the family into thinking that they had drifted apart during the course of the dates, they will be allowed to get together in the end.

"I know, my love... I'm so sorry for this... But it's only temporary. In the end, we'll be together. That's all that matters..." Ichiro smoothed Reiko's hair as he continued murmured into it.

Reiko just answered him with another tight hug, let go and ran into her house. She couldn't bear thinking of what will happen tomorrow. She would miss him so much. She had already gotten used to seeing him everyday. The other women didn't matter. She knew he loved her, and that he would be faithful to her.

Ichiro just watched her go with a heavy heart. And slowly, he turned away and walked towards home.

The next day, he met with the women the _nakodo_ had picked for him. True to what his family suspected, he tried his best to be polite and he was on his best behavior. He didn't want his family to have any incentive to hurt Reiko and her father. His heart wasn't in it though. It was in a little ramshackle hut in an almost hidden part of their village...

Finally, there was only one girl he had to meet, Tachibana Ai. Ichiro sighed with relief. Once the day's dates are done, it may take his family another week or so and he can see Reiko then...

A girl with a heart-shaped face came into the room. As was the style, she had long inky black hair. Her beauty was stunning, though it was different from Reiko's. Her kind of beauty grew on you the longer you looked at her.

Ichiro was mesmerized as she made her way to the seat across from him. Ai kept her head lowered, though she was peeping at him through her lashes. He looked more like the son of a merchant rather than a fisherman – he had long elegant fingers, the tips were callused from fixing nets and baiting hooks, but she didn't know that. The hair at the back of his hand seemed fascinating to her. It was finer than she thought it would be, she had to stop herself from reaching out to touch it.

"Hmmm, I'm Nakamura Ichiro... You're Tachibana Ai?"

She nodded. She glanced at him shyly once, then she lowered her face again. It was like a powerful punch, and Ichiro could find himself being magnetized by her.

"Hmm, so what do you like to do in your spare time?"

She slowly answered his question, still keeping her gaze lowered. Soon the conversation started to flow more easily. She was shyer than Reiko, but then, Reiko was only shy because of her subservience to her father, otherwise, she was not shy at all. Ai even started to ask him questions.

The date lasted for an hour, then stretched into two. The day turned into night, and still they were talking... Finally, the _nakodo_ came to pick up Ai and bring her to her house. It was already dinnertime.

"Sayonara, Tachibana-san... 'Till we meet again..." Ichiro bowed slightly to her, keeping his eyes in her face as he lowered his head.

She gave a little smile and her eyes twinkled. She gave a nod in return and said, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Ichiro-kun." And she was soon led away by the _nakodo_.

Ichiro, on his way home, was a stark contrast to the Ichiro that left it. He didn't even realize he was whistling until his mother remarked on it as he sat on the dinner table. Hearing that, he sobered as he remembered Reiko. It made him guilty – it was the first time he thought about her since meeting Ai this afternoon. He had a lot to think about. He was unaware that his family were exchanging glances silently about him at the dinner table for he was preoccupied with his thoughts.

Who does he love? Reiko or Ai? They were different from each other... Once you got through Reiko's shy exterior, she was like a wild and untamed animal. Still womanly, but there was a roughness to her, an earthiness that Ai did not have. Ai was more elegant and refined. She was better educated in the ways of their society than Reiko was. Not to mention the fact that Ai engaged in more womanly pursuits since there had been no one to teach Reiko any of those activities since her mother died. But then, Reiko was a great cook. She had made him sample some of her cooking at their secret glade. He had no idea if Ai cooked or not, and he didn't think to ask.

Whatever the case, he couldn't make up his mind... He envisioned the faces of the two women in his head... They were both so beautiful... Whichever one he ended up choosing, he will be a lucky, lucky man...

Meanwhile, Reiko was daydreaming. Oh she hoped that he did not meet anyone who would tantalize him... She knew he loved her, but he belonged to a different level and so would the girls he will meet. It would be extremely hard to meet them at their level.

"Reiko-chan, are you okay?" her aunt asked. She had barely touched her food, and had been staring at her bowl of rice for the past ten minutes.

"Yes, obasan. I'm okay," Reiko gave a slight smile in return and started eating.

Her father looked at her contemplatively. "Reiko, I want to talk to you after dinner."

"Yes, Otousan."

After dinner, her father sat on a worn bench by the front of their house. One of his feet was up, and he was smoking a cigarette, an indulgence that he enjoyed only once every month.

"You know, ever since your mother died, I've done my best to protect you from this world", he started. Reiko did not say anything. She didn't know what he was trying to say with those words. And she didn't know what mood her father was in. Until she did, she would keep quiet.

"You look so much like her that I worried how your beauty would be a siren's call to the men around here... I kept you by my side and looked after you in the only way I knew how... In my head, I told myself I had to learn to let you go when you grow up so that you can get married and have babies of your own... But I don't want to use your beauty as a pawn to increase our station in life. You shouldn't be dreaming so ambitiously, my child."

"Otousan..."

"I don't know what you feel for young Nakamura... But he is not the right man for you... You might love him now, but your differences in life will matter in the end. If you don't belong in his world but you force yourself to occupy it, the people there will chew you up and eat you. You might not understand right now, but I love you too much to let that happen."

Reiko's mind was shrieking in denial. How could he know what would happen? It wasn't right. Ichiro was different. He would protect her because he loved her. They don't belong in each other's worlds but they can make one together... She made up her mind to ignore her father. She knew Ichiro. He didn't. He will see that Ichiro was a better man than the others he had known.

She realized that her father was waiting for her to acknowledge his words. She murmured, "Okay, Otousan... Good night."

He raised his hand to wave her away in dismissal. Reiko turned her back to him and walked back into the hut. Her heart joining in the shouts her mind was shouting inside her.

The next day she received a note from Ichiro through Ryuu.

_My Reiko-chan,_

_I hope your dreams last night were filled of me as mine were filled of you. The dates yesterday did not go well, as I knew they would not... Today, I have to meet more women my family think is suitable. _

_In my misery, the only thing that makes me happy are my thoughts of you. Your sweet smelling hair, smooth skin, soft lips... I can't wait to have you in my arms again._

_I await your reply. I love you._

_Ichiro_

"Good news?" Ryuu asked her when he saw the warm expression that set on her face as she read Ichiro's letter.

"Hmmm, no. He has to meet more marriage candidates today. But he said he is thinking of me", she smiled. He smiled back at her.

"Will you give him my letter?" Reiko asked softly, her heart bursting with love for the man whose letter she was holding.

"Sure. I'm at your service."

Reiko gave him the letter she had written to be passed on to Ichiro.

And on and on it went. Ichiro and Reiko were not able to meet each other for almost two months. During that time, they settled themselves with writing letters to each other – promises of love, of faithfulness.

Reiko grew increasingly more melancholy. She missed him so much. She could barely find enough energy to carry on with her chores. Her cousin had to come and help them out. Some days, she was so sad and lonely, she would remain curled up in bed, thinking of him and wishing that he would be with her soon. Her father did not press her, thinking to heed the words of his wife's sister. This time, he would just let her be. Perhaps this was the only way she will be able to release him from her system.

Finally, the day came when Ryuu dropped by to deliver Ichiro's note to her.

_My Reiko,_

_I hope you will meet with me tomorrow in our special glade. I cannot wait to see you. I have some news for you when we meet._

_Until then,_

_Your Ichiro_

"Good news?" Ryuu asked. He always asked her this question now every time he dropped off one of Ichiro's letters.

"The best," she replied with her eyes shining. She thanked him and left for her house, stars in her eyes.

When she entered her room, she found her aunt waiting for her. She had a serious expression on her face, Reiko could not help but be a little alarmed by it.

"Reiko-chan, I want to ask you a serious question, and I want you to answer me truthfully."

Reiko nodded. What did her aunt want to know?

"Did you do anything with your lover that I should know about?"

Reiko couldn't really understand the question. They didn't do anything others had to know about. It was something that was just for the two of them.

"What do you mean, Obasan?"

"I mean, did you do something that only people in their wedding night do?" Her aunt rephrased the question, peering at Reiko closely.

Reiko paled. How did her aunt know that? As far as she knew, no one knew about that except for her and Ichiro. They always made sure it was just the two of them in there.

"I found this... It has been two months since you've used them, right?" Her aunt held up a box in her hand. It was her box of rags for her period.

Reiko gasped. It was true... She had not had the chance to use her rags since... Since.... She tried to count backwards in her mind... She had not had her period since before she and Ichiro made love the first time. It had been two months since that time.

"Oh no, Oba... Does this mean?"

"We will wait for a week. If it does not come still, we are going to the village doctor. One that I know and who won't say anything to your father. There we'll see if you are with child or not."

Reiko could not do anything but nod her head in agreement to her aunt's plan. She was pale and trembling, her eyes big on her face. She did not know what she would do if she found out she was pregnant... Her father would disown her. She would be shamed, and her father with her...

"Don't tell your young lover anything yet... If our suspicions are unfounded, you would only succeed in scaring him. If they are real, then you will have decide on your next course of action."

Again, Reiko agreed with her aunt. She looked at her with wide eyes, and her aunt gave her a hug to console her.

*****

_What do you think? Is Reiko pregnant? What will Ichiro say??? :) Stay tuned...Please R&R! Let me know if you have ideas too... This will be like little stories in one big story for Kaede's ancestors... And the last will be her own story... Hope I pull this off!_


	4. Chapter 3: THE ROAD TO THE FUTURE

**Chapter 3: ROAD TO THE FUTURE**

Ichiro decided to stop by the Matsuki's house again... It was the second time Reiko had not shown up at the glade to meet him. He knew it had been more than two months since they had last seen each other, and almost a month since he had written, but she had told Ryuu she would meet with him. And she had no reason to agree to that and then not show up. Not yet anyway.

When he came, the house was silent and still. But it was a different silence this time. The house looked forlorn and sad as always, but he couldn't quite put a finger on what was wrong.

"Are you looking for Matsuki-san?" a voice piped up behind him. Ichiro spun and saw a young man carrying some firewood on his shoulders.

Ichiro nodded his head. He didn't need to explain it was actually Reiko he was looking for. If he found her father, he could find her.

"He's gone."

Ichiro was confused by his words. "What do you mean, 'he's gone'?"

"He and his daughter and another woman packed up and left... How many days ago was that? Maybe a week ago? No explanation, just up and left in the middle of the night."

"Did they tell anyone where they were going?" Ichiro asked in an upset tone.

"Far as I know, they just left."

"Thank you." Ichiro told the man and he walked on carrying his load of wood. Ichiro looked at the house. Now it all made sense. There was no sign of life there. Unlike before. _Where could they have gone?_

He decided to go inside the house and look around. Slowly, he checked to see if there was anyone who might see him going inside and wonder what he was doing. Seeing no one, he walked up the steps into the dilapidated shack.

The inside was in shambles. In front of him was an overturned table which had three legs, it was apparently where they had eaten because there were some food that had spilled onto the floor. To the right were some pieces of broken pottery. Gingerly, Ichiro made his way around the house. _What could have happened here? Did creditors come to threaten them and they had to flee?_ For the first time, Ichiro felt a sense of foreboding... What happened to Reiko, her aunt and her father? Surely she wouldn't leave without telling him...

He walked towards a white cloth that served as a door in the room by the corner. It was where she slept he knew. Her father had preferred to sleep on the floor by the front door. He moved the cloth to the side and saw that this room was the only neat one in the whole house. The bed had no mattress or sheets and the little cabinet on the side was empty, one door had swung by its hinges sadly. Ichiro slowly approached it... He moved his hand around to touch the sides, and his fingertips encountered a piece of paper sticking out from the top – squeezed in between the door and the shelf...

_Nakamura-san_... Ichiro's brows furrowed. She had not called him that in a long time – not since the first time he had tracked her down. He read on.

_Nakamura-san,_

_I am sorry if I was not able to meet with you, we had to leave urgently at the last minute. I don't believe we will see each other again any time soon. Perhaps it is better this way._

_I pray for your happiness with Tachibana-chan._

_Matsuki Reiko_

_How did she know about Ai???_ Ichiro was perplexed... It was true... He had come to confess that he had fallen in love with Ai... But he still loved her too... It was just not possible for them to marry – unless society changes her rules, the two of them wouldn't be able to be together.

With Ai, he can move up into the world if he worked hard enough; but with Reiko, even if he worked like a dog for all his life, he will remain where he is... With Ai and her dowry, he can own more fishing boats. He now owned four, including the two he will surely inherit when his father dies. When that happens, he will be a lot better off than he is right now... When that happens, he can throw his sisters out and make them pay for their machinations against him. Ichiro smiled at that thought grimly as he left the house, the piece of paper hidden deep in his pocket.

Who knew what tomorrow would bring? He might see Reiko again... He loved Ai. But he also loved Reiko. Ai was the love of his heart, but Reiko - Reiko was the love of his soul...

_A few years later..._

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

"I'll answer that. Are you going to be okay here, Ai-chan?" Ichiro asked his wife with concern.

She didn't look at him. She just continued staring out the window. Ichiro sighed inwardly. She was still so depressed, he didn't know what else he could do to help her.

"I'll be right back.." Ichiro rushed to answer the door before the visitor could knock again. He had taken to coming home during lunch time and eating with his wife and daughter since the birth. Ai had become severely depressed since she gave birth to a stillborn son the week before. It was the third failure to give him the son she thought would make him happy, and since the birth of their daughter, she had vowed to give him a son and heir he would be proud of.

Nakamura Ichiro, husband to Nakamura Ai, father to six-year old Nakamura Esumi, owner of six fishing boats got the shock of his life when he opened the door and saw a serious faced old lady holding the hand of a boy around his daughter's age.

"Here. He's your problem now." She ushered the little boy nearer the door and left as fast as her bowed legs could carry her. The little boy just continued to look up at Ichiro defiantly. He had a tattered bed sheet whose corners had been tied together by his feet. He was barefoot.

"W-wait!!! What do you mean?" Ichiro shouted, calling out to the old lady with his arm raised. But the woman had walked away so fast, she was gone in a second. She had never looked back.

Ichiro murmured, "crazy old woman..."

He turned and looked at the young boy who had moved to look at him when he stepped out of the doorway.

"Hmmm, I don't know what you're doing here but you can't stay. I'm not your parent." Ichiro told the boy gruffly. The child's stare was unnerving, Ichiro felt he could see into his soul.

The boy dug into his pocket and took out a crumpled piece of paper. He stretched his arm out abruptly and practically shoved it into Ichiro's path leaving Ichiro no choice but to take it and read what it said.

It was a birth certificate.

**Name: TAKESHI... **That was all Ichiro could make out since the paper must have gotten wet at some point because he couldn't read the rest of the kanji written in that part.

**Gender: Male**

….

**Mother: REIKO MATSUKI**

Ichiro's eyes widened when he read that. He hadn't known Reiko had a son. Since their departure he had not heard of the Matsuki's at all.

**Father...**

Ichiro's eyes widened even further. This could not be true. He looked at the boy and demanded, "What's your name?"

"Takeshi."

"Takeshi what?"

"Takeshi Nakamura", the child said in an abrupt tone.

**Father: ICHIRO NAKAMURA**

It was there in black and white. "Is this true?" he asked the child.

The boy just shrugged not bothering to answer him.

Ichiro looked at the second piece of paper.

_Nakamura-san,_

_I don't know if you remember me... I am Reiko-chan's obasan... I hope you and your family are doing well. I am sorry to be dropping this news on you unexpectedly, Reiko-chan did not want us to let you know about Takeshi-kun... And I have honored her wishes always. Until now._

_As you can guess, he is the reason we left. We found out she was pregnant and she wanted to have her baby. Her father was furious about the shame she could bring to the family name and so we had to move far away._

_Your friend had told Reiko-chan about your love affair with the Tachibana girl and Reiko was infuriated. She kept her son from you and fed her anger on to him. He knows you are his father. But he hates you._

_I am telling you this so that you know what you are up against if you choose to keep him. I am getting old and I am not equipped to care for him now. Reiko died a week ago and I have been released of my vow to her._

_I hope you accept Takeshi, you two deserve to get to know each other._

The note was unsigned, but Ichiro remembered the handwriting of the note he'd found in the Matsuki house. It was the same.

Ichiro crumpled the paper in his fist, his lips pursed and his expression turned ugly.

Ryuu.

That traitor.

He had turned his back on him and poisoned Reiko against him.

Ryuu had worked for him in the beginning but he fired him after he found out he had been talking to the fishermen and charging them interest on the boats they rented without informing him.

That bastard.

Now he had two things to contend with – Ai and this boy. She had been hard to live with since she found out their first born was a girl and he had wondered many times over the years how his life would have been like if he had married Reiko instead.

He looked at the boy and met his gaze straight-on. He never once doubted the child was his for they looked alike and he knew he had been the only lover Reiko had.

He took the boy's belongings and ushered him inside. Here. Here was the future. Together with his daughter, Esumi, they could be rich. Only then will the past few years not have been in vain.

Nakamura Ichiro steeled his resolve and firmly shut the door.

*****

_Sorry I have not updated in a while... Life is started to catch up with me! I hope I'll be able to write the next chapter before the week ends... Hope you like this one and please R&R! :) _


	5. Chapter 4: NAKAMURA TAKESHI

**Chapter 4: NAKAMURA TAKESHI (1923-1941)**

Takeshi's heart was beating fast... His breath was coming out in short uneven gasps as he struggled to climb up the rocky terrain. He had to hurry. He was already 10 minutes late but he had to wait for his father to fall asleep before he could sneak out. Times were dangerous in Japan at this time. If his father knew he had snuck out, all hell would break lose... Hopefully Esumi will keep her promise and cover for him.

He continued to breathe raggedly, his breath making little puffs of white as he tried to speed up his progress. His hands were already dirty, and as it was, he had to tie the laces of his shoes together and hang them up his neck. If he didn't, they too, would be scuffed and dirty, negating the hour it had taken for him to polish them up this afternoon.

Finally heaving himself onto the edge of the hill, he found what he had been looking for - the most magnificent sight he could ever expect. A vision of hope in their land of chaos and destruction.

Ayano Yatsumi was wearing a simple white shift. Her dark wavy hair was blowing in the wind. She had placed a crown of flowers on her silky locks and their vivid colors stood out against her raven tresses.

She turned around and saw him – a slow, dazzling smile creeping in her face. Her eyes softened as it roamed and caressed his features silently. Their gazes remained interlocked as Takeshi slowly made his way towards her side.

Takeshi reached out his hand to gently caress the side of her face, yet it hesitated -hovering a couple of inches away as he realized the grimy state they were in. Yet Yatsumi just took his hand in her own, touched the palm to her cheek and a gave a soft loving kiss on the underside of his wrist. Takeshi shivered, and heat sizzled through his spine at her touch. His eyes promised retribution as hers continued to dance merrily at his expression.

"Uh-hrmmm", somebody cleared their throat and broke their eye contact. They jumped and broke apart looking at the other person on the cliff with them.

"I'm sorry, ojisan..." Yatsumi said apologetically, blushing.

"Quite all right. This is why we're here to begin with." Her uncle said. He was their town priest and he had agreed to perform the ceremony for them tonight. He knew they were doing this without parental consent, but they were eighteen and in love. Their country was at war and every little bit of goodness he can give witness to is a gift to the world.

"Let us begin..."

_After half an hour..._

"Now that we're finally married, I don't think I can bear to let you go," Takeshi murmured to his new wife. They were standing by the cliff's edge bidding farewells to each other. In this time, every second together counts. They were lucky that his father was not forcing him to marry at this age as was the custom, instead, there was increasing pressure for him to join their country's armed forces. He was hesitant though, he knew this was a fruitless war, yet he felt that to take no side would be unmanly.

"We can bear it for a few more days... Then we can let them know what happened here tonight", Yatsumi murmured back, resting her cheek even more firmly into his cupped hand. Their foreheads were touching, and their breaths were like little kisses running over the other's face. He put his other hand, which had been holding hers up to cup her other cheek and gave her a deep kiss.

He groaned and let go, rushing to the edge for his descent. He had to leave while he could still tear himself away otherwise, all this secrecy would be futile.

Yatsumi gave him a little wave with her fingers as he disappeared from view. She stood there for a few minutes longer staring at the space where he had gone. Her heart ached at the loss even though they had just been together. She loved him and being with him was never enough. She looked down at the simple band on her finger, her other hand covering it as she closed her palm. She'll keep it on for just a little while longer. When she goes home, she'll have to take it off and keep it, she had a piece of string she could use for just that purpose.

Years ago when Takeshi first started to live with his father, there had been problems. He was already 7 and he had grown up hearing about how his father had cheated on his mother and how he had married another woman over her. When she died, he had grown petulant. When his great aunt sent him to live with his father, he had refused to eat. Nothing – not his half-sister, not his father, no threats or bribes worked. They could not cajole him out of his hunger strike. His father had grown increasingly worried. It had not helped that his wife, who was severely depressed, got even worse because of his presence.

Several times he had tried to run away, sometimes in the middle of the night. It had gotten so bad that he had almost drowned – tripping and falling face first into a pool of shallow water. It was only luck that he had turned his head when he fell.

Nakamura Ichiro, his father, had been at his wits' end. He needed help and needed it badly. His wife's depression escalated - from trying to kill him to trying to kill herself. Being raised so traditionally, she judged herself by her ability to bear him sons. With her failure, she considered herself less of a woman for him. Ichiro tried to help her, but he was also getting frustrated. He knew that as a man in Japan, he had other options, yet part of him clung stubbornly to the decision he had made to marry her... He was proud and did not want to seek assistance in the beginning, but his presence was also needed in the various businesses that he had ventured into since expanding his fleet of fishing boats from the early days of his marriage. He now owned part of a millery, a slaughterhouse, and a little clinic.

He had tried to win Takeshi over but he failed miserably. He needed a woman's touch and there was none to be had.

One day, he had been hiding in the trees, purposely remaining deaf to his father's calls for him to come out and eat lunch. Soon, his stomach started to growl and he was debating whether to come down and swallow his pride enough to join his father at the table when suddenly the aroma of something delicious floated up the branches of the tree and into his nostrils.

_Sniff, sniff_... It smelled like one of the dishes his mother used to make for him. His favorite. Curry rice with chicken karaage on top... His stomach growled. _Sniff, sniff._.. His mouth started to water and he slowly began to descend from the tree, curiosity driving him to try and discover who the cook was.

A couple of steps from the bottom, he found a mother and her daughter helping themselves to the meager meal. They were a bit dirty, but still they had a certain aura of dignity about them. The two looked up as he landed by their picnic lunch with a thump.

"Oy, you, boy! What did you mean by scaring us out of our wits like that?" the mother asked, startled at his sudden appearance.

"Mama, maybe he's hungry..." the daughter told her mother, looking shyly at the young Takeshi through her curtain of hair.

Takeshi looked at her with curiosity. She was probably a year or two younger than he was. His half-sister was his age, give or take a few months younger, and he has never really talked to her since he'd been sent there. Oh she'd tried to talk to him, but he resisted her overtures thinking that she could only be doing so at the request of their father.

"Are you hungry?" the woman then asked him kindly offering him some of their food in another bowl.

Takeshi didn't hesitate. He grabbed the bowl and started eating. He hadn't eaten in days and once he started, he couldn't stop. It tasted like his mother's but different at the same time. Yet, he was mindful that this woman and her daughter probably needed the food more. After all, he knew he could have more at home, he just chose not to have any of it. The two females just continued eating while he was.

When he was done and set down his bowl, he murmured, "arigato gozaimasu..."

"No problem, young man. But may I ask, where are your parents? Somehow you don't look like you belong to nobody."

"What can I do repay you for the food?" Takeshi asked, standing and giving them a slight bow. He ignored the question.

Suddenly he heard voices, his father's and a few of his men.

"I will find you to repay my debt. I have to go now. I am sorry." With that, he ran off.

_Late in the evening..._

Takeshi slowly trudged home. He was tired and hungry again. He just wanted to sleep and maybe formulate a plan. He couldn't go on like this... But he thought that his father would surely have been worried about him and he felt absurdly happy about that. He was sure he had spent hours looking for him. And maybe, even now, he couldn't sleep – waiting for him to come home. Like the other times he had ran away, he would find dinner waiting for him at the table, and tonight, he would eat it. He'd eat it grudgingly, to please his father. Never would he admit how hungry he was.

When he reached their front yard, Takeshi was perplexed. All the lights were out at the house. No one seemed to be awake. It had never been that way before. His heart started thumping loudly. Until now he would never admit to himself how scared he was. Hurriedly, he walked to the house. He entered their living room. All was quiet. He was assured by the sight of his father's work things scattered on one of the benches. For a moment there, he had thought his father had abandoned him. But of course, he'd never do that.

Yet, how come he didn't wait up for him???

Takeshi walked to the dining table, expecting dinner to have been placed there for him. He found nothing.

His stomach was rumbling once again, but he had no choice but to go to bed hungry.

Unknown to him, his father was sitting in the corner of the living room, dressed in dark clothes. He had waited up for his son. But he would never let him know. Today he had formulated a new plan, and this was only the first step.

*****

_I am incredibly sorry for updating so late! Life is starting to catch up with me. Our nieces are visiting til early August, and my son's birthday party is coming up. Not to mention, planning for our move to a new place. Oh what is a girl to do!!! But I hope this was a good chappie to introduce Takeshi to you :) _

_I hope to update again soon! I miss writing!_


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